Zürcher Nachrichten - No info in files that Epstein trafficked women to others: FBI chief

"There is no credible information, none," Patel said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. "If there were I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals."

Some of Donald Trump's fiercest supporters have tracked the Epstein case for years, believing "deep state" elites have been protecting Epstein associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood.

Patel's comments come after he angered many Trump loyalists with a memo in July that effectively closed the investigation into Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for trafficking of underage girls.

In testimony before the committee, Patel also said an investigation is ongoing into members of an online gaming room frequented by Utah man Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

"There are a number of individuals that are currently being investigated and interrogated, and a number yet to be investigated and interrogated, specific to that chat room," he said.

Asked by a senator whether others could have been involved, Patel said: "Yes sir."

Patel came under fire from Democrats on the Senate panel for a purge of the FBI ranks of scores of agents who worked on criminal cases involving Trump or were perceived to be disloyal to the Republican president.

Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, accused Patel of inflicting "untold damage on the FBI" and putting "national security and public safety at risk" with an "unprecedented purge of FBI officials."

- 'Campaign of retribution' -

Patel has been lambasted from both the right and the left since being named by Trump to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation's premier law enforcement agency.

According to Fox News, Patel's relationship with Attorney General Pam Bondi is particularly strained, although he continues to enjoy the confidence of the White House.

Patel has been criticized in particular for his actions in the aftermath of last week's assassination of Kirk during a speaking event at a Utah university.

He announced the arrest of a suspect a few hours after the shooting, only to turn around two hours later and say that individual had been released and the manhunt was continuing.

Robinson, the actual suspected assailant, is to be formally charged in Provo, Utah, on Tuesday with the murder of Kirk, the founder of the influential conservative youth political group Turning Point USA.

Since taking office, Trump has taken a number of punitive measures against his perceived enemies, purging government officials deemed to be disloyal, targeting law firms involved in past cases against him, and pulling federal funding from universities.

Three former senior FBI officials filed a lawsuit against Patel last week over their firing, claiming they were victims of a "campaign of retribution" over a perceived "failure to demonstrate sufficient political loyalty."

Patel is to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

A.P.Huber--NZN